diff --git a/azchess/selfplay/inference.py b/azchess/selfplay/inference.py
index 09aeea9..aa5e2cc 100644
--- a/azchess/selfplay/inference.py
+++ b/azchess/selfplay/inference.py
@@ -72,6 +72,32 @@ def _recreate_worker_events(shared_memory_resources: List[Dict[str, Any]], attem
             logger.error(f"Failed to recreate events for worker {i}: {recreate_error}")
 
 
+def _get_policy_width_from_resource(resource: Dict[str, Any]) -> int:
+    """Safely derive the policy width from a shared resource mapping."""
+    policy_tensor = None
+    try:
+        policy_tensor = resource.get("response_policy_tensor")  # type: ignore[attr-defined]
+    except AttributeError:
+        # Resource may not behave like a mapping (should not happen, but guard anyway)
+        pass
+
+    if policy_tensor is None:
+        return 0
+
+    shape = getattr(policy_tensor, "shape", ())
+    if len(shape) >= 2:
+        width = shape[1]
+    elif len(shape) == 1:
+        width = shape[0]
+    else:
+        width = 0
+
+    try:
+        return int(width)
+    except (TypeError, ValueError):
+        return 0
+
+
 def run_inference_server(
     device: str,
     model_cfg: dict,
@@ -454,9 +480,31 @@ def run_inference_server(
                         logger.error(f"Batch tensor device: {batch_tensor.device}")
                         logger.error(f"Model device: {next(model.parameters()).device}")
 
-                        # Return fallback values
+                        # Return fallback values sized to the shared policy tensor
                         batch_size = batch_tensor.shape[0]
-                        policy_logits_np = np.zeros((batch_size, 4672), dtype=np.float32)
+                        policy_width = 0
+                        candidate_workers: List[int] = list(batch_sizes.keys())
+                        for worker_id in batch_indices:
+                            if worker_id not in batch_sizes:
+                                candidate_workers.append(worker_id)
+
+                        for worker_id in candidate_workers:
+                            if 0 <= worker_id < len(shared_memory_resources):
+                                policy_width = _get_policy_width_from_resource(
+                                    shared_memory_resources[worker_id]
+                                )
+                                if policy_width > 0:
+                                    break
+
+                        if policy_width <= 0:
+                            for res in shared_memory_resources:
+                                policy_width = _get_policy_width_from_resource(res)
+                                if policy_width > 0:
+                                    break
+
+                        policy_logits_np = np.zeros(
+                            (batch_size, policy_width), dtype=np.float32
+                        )
                         value = np.zeros((batch_size, 1), dtype=np.float32)
 
                 # Distribute results back to workers
@@ -645,7 +693,12 @@ def infer_np(self, arr_batch: np.ndarray) -> Tuple[np.ndarray, np.ndarray]:
     def _get_fallback_values(self, batch_size: int) -> Tuple[np.ndarray, np.ndarray]:
         """Return safe fallback values when inference fails completely."""
         # Return neutral logits (uniform after softmax) and neutral value
-        policy = np.zeros((batch_size, 4672), dtype=np.float32)
+        policy_width = _get_policy_width_from_resource(self.res)
+        if policy_width <= 0:
+            self.logger.debug(
+                "Falling back to zero-width policy logits due to missing shape information"
+            )
+        policy = np.zeros((batch_size, policy_width), dtype=np.float32)
         value = np.zeros(batch_size, dtype=np.float32)
         return policy, value